Littler beats Aspinall to reach quarter-finals of European Championship

World number one Luke Littler reached the quarter-finals of the European Championship in Dortmund with a 10-5 win over Nathan Aspinall in the second round. Throughout the match, Littler won the first four sets in 12 darts or fewer, dominating his opponent.

Aspinall hit ten 180s, three more than his rival. However, a brief fightback by Aspinall was not enough to bring the score to 5-4. Littler controlled the second half of the match and finished the final set with a D10.

Littler's average of 114.47 is surpassed in tournament history only by Phil Taylor's record of 118.14. The performance shows that the young player is in good form.

The teenager had recently suffered shock defeats at the World Series and the World Grand Prix, losing his dream of a perfect season in the majors. Even so, after last year's run at the European Championship, he is aiming to lift the trophy this time. Littler addressed criticism on social media, saying he had devoted himself to practice and maintained his form.